Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, together on Tuesday visited the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, which was highly affected by the flood, the roads and highway is ravaged due to the disaster. Both the leaders visited flood-affected areas including Bada Bhuiyan, Shirad, Deodhar, Aloo Ground Manali, and Klath, and interacted with them to know their condition and challenges faced during the calamity.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari expressed his concern and said that this natural calamity has made people suffer a lot; this situation was even worse than they would have imagined otherwise. Immense heavy rainfall that triggered floods, landslides, and Cloudbursts, has caused the destruction of roads, highways, bridges, and private properties.
Thus, he claimed to provide assistance of Rs 400 Cr from Union Government under Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRFI) to restore the destruction that took place in the district. He also added that the National Highway Authority of India will cover the cost of repairing the connecting roads up to one kilometer in apple belts along the National Highways.
Union Minister said that due to the collection of muck in the river bed, the river changed its course and effective measures will be taken to build a concrete wall or channelize the river beds as per its requirement. He also asked the state government for cooperation in this situation. He continued that the Union ministry will take responsibility for the repair and restoration of the roads and NHAI will bear whatever money is used during the restoration process.
Around 16 km of the national highway had been damaged between Mandi and Manali, according to the NHAI officials.
Himachal CM addresses Press Conference for Kullu’s disaster
Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during the press conference, said that it is the first time that Himachal has to face such havoc due to Natural calamity and left the state in distress. He continued by saying that the Union Minister must help the state as the resources are limited and hence the government should extend its help to provide relief aid and restoration efforts at the earliest to the people of Kullu.
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also Appealed to the Leader of the opposition Jai Ram Thakur to provide full support and help to the people of the state and stand alongside them in hours of crisis and address the need of the people.
CM thanked Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for his quick response on the restoration of roads and accepted CM’s invitation to visit Himachal Pradesh.
Other benefits provided by Nitin Gadkari to Himachal Pradesh
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari while talking to the media, said that huge portions of the National Highway has been carried away by the heavy flow of river and a technical team has been set up to examine the problem and ways of taking effective measure to avoid this situation in the future. The team will visit the flood-hit areas in the next 3-4 days to take stock of the situation.
He also added that commuters from hilly areas are frequently threatened by falling rocks and boulders from the mountains and that thorough research will be done in order to find the solution to the problem before sharing ideas with the State Government.
According to Nitin Gadkari, 68 tunnels worth Rs 12,500 crore are being constructed in Himachal Pradesh. By the next two–three months, the four-lane Kiratpur-Manali repair project will be completed and will be inaugurated soon. The Bijli Mahadev Ropeway’s will have a budget of Rs 250 Crore and the construction will be underway shortly.
He also added that for the construction of the Shahpur- Sihunta road, permission has been granted already and it would cost Rs 52 Crores under CRIF. Similarly, Rangas-Mehre via Bagchal Road will also be built with an expenditure of Rs 49 Crores.
